Love Will Always Return
by Luna1985
Summary: Many years ago, Washu was married and lost both her son and husband due to social status. Now, long after that has occured, Washu has possibly found someone else. Will it work out?
1. Danger Always Seems to Find Us...

Washu was working in her lab like normal

Washu was working in her lab like normal. Sasami was cooking in the kitchen and the others were outside. "Careful, careful…" said Washu to herself. BOOM! Yet another explosion from the lab. Washu sighed when she ended up outside. "One drop too many." She stood up, brushing dust and black smoke off of herself. Sasami calmly left the house, which was quickly filling with smoke. No one else paid any attention. This was nothing out of the ordinary for this odd group of people. The explosions and strange noises from the laboratory grew to be as expected as the fights between Ayeka and Ryoko since Washu arrived and set up her sub-space lab.

"Washu," Ryoko had come down from a tree and landed in front of Washu, "must you continuously blow up Tenchi's house?" 

Washu just smiled at her kawaiily. "Aww, Ryoko, you know no real damage was done."

Ryoko shook her head and was turning to leave when Washu couldn't resist adding "Ryoko, dear, won't you please call me 'Mom'?" Ryoko turned angrily to her 20,000+-year-old mother who looked like a child right now. "NO!" Ryoko sank into the ground and Washu tsked shaking her head. "Children have no respect for their parents these days, Sasami. I hope you listen better to your mom and dad." Sasami looked surprised to see she was being spoken to again. She thought she had been forgotten about. When she thought about the question and how much she had disobeyed her parents lately, she looked down at the ground. "No matter, child. The smoke should be cleared by now. Let's go inside." Sasami followed Washu back in, proceeding to chatter about her day.

Tenchi while he was in the garden. It was as if she had come out of nowhere. No bus came to the temple this time of evening. "Good afternoon. My name is Umi. Have you seen my mommy?" the little girl questioned Tenchi. Tenchi gave her a blank look then bent down to her level and smiled. "I don't know, Miss Umi. Who is your mother?" Ryoko, being herself, came up out of the ground. "Tenchi! There you are. Guess you didn't notice that Washu did it again?" Umi's face grew bright. "Mommy! And Grandma is here too?" Ryoko looked at her. "Mommy? Grandma? Who are you?" Noticing the annoyed look of Ryoko's face, Tenchi turned his attention back t Umi. "I bet Washu can figure this out. Why don't we go back to the house and ask her?" Umi didn't even wait for her mother to agree before she was running to the house screaming "Grandma! Grandma!" Tenchi sighed and picked up a basket of veggies he had been retrieving from the garden and headed back towards the house. "Washu isn't going to like being called Grandma." Ryoko stated with a smirk as she sank back into the ground.

Sasami was in the kitchen making dinner when she heard "Grandma! Grandma!" who's voice was accompanied by an unrecognizable body heading straight into the lab. "I'm not going to ask…" she mumbled before turning back to her cooking. She tossed a few slices of carrots to Ryo-Ohki who meowed happily just before gulping them done.

Washu had just finished cleaning up when a little girl yelling "Grandma" tackled her! Washu blinked. "Grandma? Who are you calling Grandma?" Umi got off of Washu and giggled. "Sorry, Grandma. You don't know me yet. My name is Umi and I am your granddaughter here from the future." Washu sighed and stood up. "You people need to stop coming back from the future. I really don't have time to help you all and THEN send you back to the right time." Her eyes grew wide. She finally saw it. "Did you say you were MY granddaughter? Great Tsunami! Ryoko had offspring! RYOKO!" she went racing out of the lab, Umi following right behind.

She heard Ryoko yelling outside and the noises of a fight. "Umi, stay here with Sasami." Umi smiled obediently which almost freaked Washu out. "Yes, Grandma." Washu rolled her eyes and went running outside to see Ryoko and Tenchi fighting a stranger and Scar standing there as if he had just had a turn with him.

Scar had only been here a couple of months. He was a good friend of theirs and was head over heals with Ryoko.

Washu got close enough to hear the guy say 'Kagato'. Both she and Ryoko grew angrier at that name. Ryoko rushed at the boy, her energy sword in hand, and Washu's holo-computer appeared. She started typing away and speaking to herself. "If this is really Kagato, we'll get him…" She was shocked when she found the results of the scan.

"Ryoko!" Washu yelled at her. "Wait! Don't kill him!"

"Why not?!" came a frustrated reply.

"Because that is not Kagato. Kagato is inside that person!"

The enemy looked down at them and said in a voice Washu knew all too well, "Very good, Washu. I was wondering how long it would take you to figure it out." His evil laughs sent chills down her spine. "I've been waiting for this moment a long time, Washu. Now everyone will know who the real genius is! I had to use this pathetic boy to get to earth and gain power, but I now do not need him anymore." There were gasps from all around including from Ayeka and Nagi who had just come running from different directions in the forest. Kagato's form split from the stranger's who fell to the ground. Kagato then shot after Ryoko unexpectedly. Nagi was quick to stop him. "That's my bounty you're trying to kill!" When Ryoko regained her composure, Nagi dove after the boy. She dropped him off next to Washu and went back to help Ryoko.

"Scar! Over here! Help me get him into my lab!" Washu's computer disappeared. She wasn't worried about Ryoko. She knew she would defeat Kagato. At least she was pretty sure she could…


	2. A New Ally?

The boy woke up in a strange place. He looked around to find himself in a lab of some sorts on a table. In the shadows he caught slight movement. And then he heard an assured female voice. "Welcome back to the land of the living. I don't think you were truly in as much danger as you had us believe." Washu came out of the shadows as she spoke to him. He gasped when he realised who it was. "You! You're the mad scientist. It's your fault Ryoko plagues the galaxy, Washu!" He tried to stand but he felt too week. "So those are the ideas Kagato has been planting in your head. Yes, I am Washu, the said smartest scientist in the galaxy. Yes, Ryoko is my daughter. Yes, she does sometimes reek havoc on others. But I am not evil. I also did not raise Ryoko. Kagato took her from me and basically froze me in time." She stopped talking as she walked to him with warm tea that she had been making for him. She let him absorb this information and smiled at the distrusting look he gave her when she offered him the tea. "It's just herbal tea. It will make you feel better. I promise. Besides, if I wanted to kill you, I've had plenty of opportunities to do so and I still can if I so wish, which I don't. You have been knocked out here, in my lab, for several hours now." Seeing the truth in her statement and figuring he had nothing to lose, he took the tea and cautiously sipped it. "You know my name, now why don't you tell me yours?" He set his tea down beside him on the table. "My name is Michael. What has happened to Kagato? He betrayed me and it's time I pay him back for everything he has been so kind do to me these past years." Washu shook her head. "He is dead. Ryoko and Nagi saw to that." Michael looked slightly disappointed yet relieved at the same time. "So, where is your husband?" Washu's eyes looked like a fire had suddenly been lit behind them. An anger-filled emptiness showed. "Excuse me?" she asked, daring him to continue. "Your husband? Tenchi?" he asked nervously. She blinked "Tenchi?" The anger disappeared from her face and was replaced by a humored look. "You have got your stories way mixed up. Tenchi is not my husband! He never has been and never will be." Michael looked obviously confused. "But Ryoko is your daughter?"

"Yes."

"Then how…?"

"Oh come now! Surely you're not so young that I have to explain THAT to you!"

"No. I was just wondering…"

"…who the father is?" she cut him off. "No one." She saw another blank look come across his face and realized just what a mystery this really was to him. "Perhaps one day I shall explain things to you. But for now, my past is none of your concern. Just know that you have nothing to fear unless you are against us. Then there is no place you can hide that you will be safe. I don't think there will be any problems, though. Sasami saved some dinner for us. Why don't we go eat now? You must be hungry after all of today's activities." Michael nodded and followed Washu out of the lab and into the kitchen.

Michael looked all around the kitchen as Washu heated up the food then served them both. "It seems everyone has gone to bed for the night. Perhaps that is for the best." She looked across the table to see him barely touching his food. "Ms. Washu?" he asked after a couple minutes of quiet.

"Hmm?"

"Maybe this is rude, but you look kind of young to have children."

She knew that was coming. "Kagato told you we studied science together?"

"Yes, that's another reason I thought you'd be older."

"I have learned many things in my 20,000 years of life."

"20,000 years?!?!"

Washu nodded and in an instant, she was in her adult form. When he just stared at her without saying a word, she went back to her child form. "See? I can turn into what I want as well as turn anyone or anything into what I want."

"That must come in handy…" he said a bit nervously.

"Yes, it does." She cleared away the empty dishes. Ryoko came down through the ceiling.

"You haven't tortured him yet?"

"He is on our side."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Ryoko, are you sleeping on the roof again tonight?"

"Probably, why?"

"Can Michael stay in your room tonight, then?"

"My room?? What's wrong with your lab?"

"Come on, Ryoko. You know there is too much he can get into in there."

"Fine…" She went back through the ceiling, mumbling.

Washu lead him up to Ryoko's room. "If you wish to live, I suggest not messing with her things. I will be waiting for you downstairs in the morning. Do not worry about the others."

He nodded to her. "Good night, Ms. Washu.

"Goodnight." She said as she closed the door. 


	3. The Past Revealed

Washu didn't sleep much that night and was up in the living room not long after dawn to find nearly everyone there. Ryoko, Scar, Nagi and Michael, she noticed, were the only ones missing. Ayeka stood as soon as she saw Washu. "Miss Washu! I demand an explanation for why that.that assassin is still present in this house!"  
  
"So Ryoko told you he is still here, huh?" She asked looking at all the curious faces. 'What a great way to start a morning.'  
  
'Isn't it, though?' came the mental reply from Ryoko.  
  
'You'll pay for this, dear daughter.' She thought back sarcastically.  
  
'We'll see, mom.'  
  
".and I also don't appreciate that demon knowing things before me!" Ayeka was still raving on about the new person and, of course, Ryoko.  
  
"Ayeka, calm down and I will explain everything to all of you. He is no threat to us. Kagato was controlling him. That problem is no more. I have already straightened out all misconceptions he had about us." She said each sentence in a very basic, impatient tone. This was getting very annoying. As smart as she is, you think they would trust her more.  
  
"Misconceptions?" came the expected question from Mihoshi. Washu knew she didn't understand the word, but she didn't feel like being a human dictionary and she knew the others just wanted to know what misconceptions he had had.  
  
"Sasami already told me the whole story. This guy isn't a criminal is he, Washu?"  
  
"No, Kiyone. Not that I know of. But if we find that he is, you will leave him alone."  
  
"Fine. Come on, Mihoshi. Time to go on patrol."  
  
"Already? I haven't even had breakfast yet! Can we stop for donuts on the way?"  
  
"Mihoshi, honestly. What am I going to do with you?"  
  
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Washu was working in her lab a little before noon when she heard someone at her lab door. "Who could it be now?" she mumbled setting her work aside for a second. "Come in."  
  
"Miss Washu?"  
  
Washu turned around to see Michael had just entered her lab. "Hello. Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Don't call me ma'am. It's bad enough I'm being called grandma all of the sudden."  
  
"Grandma? Ryoko has a daughter?"  
  
"From the future."  
  
"That is your only grandchild? Ryoko is your only child? I find that odd considering how long you have been alive. Aren't you even married? I mean, are you really that involved in your work?"  
  
Washu sighed. "Not always. I mean, there was a time when having a family meant more to me than work."  
  
Michael moved to her side. "Is this what you said you might tell me some other time?"  
  
Washu hesitated before changing the subject. "What about you and your family? Tell me something of your past." She walked away from him and sat down on her floating cushion.  
  
"My parents are dead. I was banned from Jurai after I accidentally killed a lot of people. My parents brought me to earth to try and start a new life. I killed them too along with more people. After that, it's all history. I became a military weapon, escaped from some training compound after Kagato found me, and came here to get rid of Ryoko. Kagato told me things about all of you that made me believe you were bad people. He used memories of my past to keep me going." He looked down at the ground waiting for her conviction. For her to tell him he's a murderer and he's no longer welcome. Isn't that the reaction he would get from most?  
  
Washu had already known much about him. Some of this did come as a surprise. It wasn't hard for her to find his eyes since she was so much shorter than he was. She had just realized that they were somewhat alike. When she saw his eyes, she was a bit shocked she had not noticed it before. His eyes were solid blue. Like Jurian energy. "So your life hasn't been perfect. Whose has? Have a seat. I have a story to tell you." She sat back down on her floating pillow as Michael sat on a counter top.  
  
"Back when I was at the Science Academy, I met who I thought was the love of my life. He was also Jurian aristocracy." She smiled fondly, staring off into space as if seeing it all right in front of her. "We were married and even had a beautiful son together. I had never been happier in my entire life. I loved them both more than I thought possible. I would have given anything for them, no questions asked. I had finally had what I thought I always wanted, a family of my own." When she looked back at Michael, tears were starting to form in her eyes. "But I learned something I wish I never had. I learned how dangerous it is to get attached to others. His parents strongly disapproved of our marriage. It was a social disgrace. He was only supposed to marry in his own class. Forget about love. His parents made him leave me. He barely said anything against it. Even worse, they took my baby away from me."" Washu stood and turned away from him staring at the chemicals in the beakers and tubes and all the equipment in her lab. "That is why I am so involved in my work. There is nothing else I can count on. Even when I made Ryoko, she was raised away from me and she never knew how much I did care for her."  
  
Michael had also stood and was moving toward her when Sasami yelled "Lunch time!"  
  
"Shall we go eat?" Michael asked Washu.  
  
"You go ahead. I still have much work to do. Tell Sasami I will get lunch later." She said, walking back to what she was doing when he came.  
  
Michael started to say something else but stopped himself and silently exited her lab leaving her to her work. 


	4. No Peace and Quiet

It had been a couple of weeks since Michael had come to the shrine. Washu noticed he hardly ever came into the lab and when he did he was quick to leave. She just figured he remembered their last big conversation in here and was leaving her to her work like everyone else did. She was typing up her latest results on Michael when Mihoshi came into her lab. "Hello Miss Washu!" Washu sighed. "Mihoshi, please knock first."  
  
"Oh, sorry." She went out the door and Washu blinked. 'That was quick.' Then Mihoshi knocked on the door and came back in. "Hello Miss Washu!" Washu shook her head, giving up on the girl.  
  
"What do you want, Mihoshi?"  
  
"Sasami said to tell you that.umm.that."  
  
"Spit it out. I have work to do."  
  
"Oh yeah! She said to tell you that she expects you to join us for dinner tonight as do the others."  
  
"Fine. I'll be there." She turned her attention back to her computer screen and Mihoshi just stood there staring at her. "Is there anything else, Mihoshi?"  
  
"Anything else of what?"  
  
"Oh, nevermind! Just tell Sasami I said I'd be there."  
  
"Ok!" Mihoshi said happily and finally left Washu to her work.  
  
"Finally, some peace and quiet!"  
  
That lasted about 3 minutes before Washu heard "GRANDMA!" and was glomped by Umi.  
  
"Hello, Umi. My what nice habits you have picked up from Mihoshi and your mother."  
  
"Hi! Watcha doin? Are you inventing something new? A new toy? Why don't you come out and play with me? I love it when you take me out! Mommy said you would!"  
  
'Ryoko.'  
  
'Yes?'  
  
'Nevermind, I give.' "All right, Umi. Let's go outside."  
  
"Yay!" Umi jumped up and ran for the lab door then turned back to Washu. "Hurry up, Grandma! You move faster in the future!"  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming."  
  
"And stop being a kid. You're never like this in the future."  
  
"Okay, okay." Washu turned into her adult form and took Umi outside. "Can't get Ryoko to call me Mom and here you are calling me Grandma in every other sentence."  
  
Umi smiled "Mom will never call you mom. When she does, things get broken.  
  
Sasami stared at the adult Washu actually going outside in the middle of the day with Umi. "Strange things have been happening lately. Even more strange than usual.Here you go Ryo-ohki." She tossed the cute little cabbit a carrot.  
  
"Meow!"  
  
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Washu lay out on the grass. Umi was picking flowers. Washu had been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed Michael approaching. "Hey, Washu. Hey, Umi."  
  
Umi smiled at Michael. "Hello."  
  
"Why don't you go see what your mom is up to?" Umi looked at Washu who had sat up. When she nodded, Umi smiled and said "Okay!" then went running back for the house.  
  
As she ran off, Michael sat down next to Washu. "I wanted to talk to you."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Dinner."  
  
"Dinner? Shouldn't you ask Sasami about that?"  
  
"I don't think you are trying to understand. I want you to have dinner with me tomorrow night."  
  
Washu blinked, taken by surprise. "Uhh."  
  
Michael stared into her eyes and took her hand in his. "Please, Washu? What can the harm be in dinner?"  
  
She smiled faintly. "I guess you have a point."  
  
"Good. Now where would you like to go?"  
  
"How about that new seafood place in Tokyo? It sounds like a good place and I have been wanting to go there for a while."  
  
"Good. It's a date. 7:30 sound good to you?"  
  
"Sounds just right. 7:30 it is."  
  
Michael stood and helped Washu to her feet, smiling at her. "I have a couple of things to take care of. See you at dinner in a little while."  
  
Washu nodded and after he walked off, she stayed staring across the lake and sighed. 'What's the harm in dinner? Just don't let it get much farther than that.'  
  
The silence was broken by Sasami yelling "Dinner's ready! Hurry before it gets cold!"  
  
Washu hesitated a moment longer before going back to the house. She sat down in her spot at the table as a child again. "Hey, everyone. What's for dinner?"  
  
"Lots of good stuff!" replied Sasami with a smile. "Help yourself!" 


	5. Washu??? On a date???

"You mean to tell me you got Washu to agree to go out on a date with you?" Ryoko was questioning Michael over and over again. She always thought Washu would put her work over her personal life.  
  
"That's right."  
  
"So where are you two going again?"  
  
"Some seafood place in Tokyo. How many times are you going to ask me these questions?"  
  
"Ryoko, leave him alone. Now."  
  
Ryoko turned to give some smart-ass reply but ended up with a shock. Washu was in her adult form with her hair completely down wearing a black dress. Washu actually looked normal for once.  
  
Michael just stood there staring at her with his mouth wide open.  
  
"What the hell is that, Washu?"  
  
Washu smiled at Ryoko. "What's wrong, Dear Daughter? Jealous?"  
  
"Oh, extremely. Just what I've always wanted. To dress up so I can be bored out of my mind going out with some guy I just met." She said as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Well, if you have no more questions, it's 7:30."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Michael listened to the whole exchange hoping there wouldn't be a fight. When she finally got Ryoko to shut up and quit with the questions, he smiled and held out his hand. "Shall we go?"  
  
"Let's." Washu said with a smile as she took his hand.  
  
Ryoko watched them leave and called out after them "You two behave and be back by 10. And don't do anything I probably would do! Don't make me wait up for you!" She shut the door and grinned. "Oh Scar.Where are you?"  
  
Michael had to borrow a car for the night. He opened the door for Washu and she nodded her thanks.  
  
"I thought we would have a little fun before we went to dinner. How does skating sound?"  
  
"Sounds great, actually. I haven't been skating in a long time."  
  
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"This is so much fun!" Washu said, laughing as they skated around the ring.  
  
Michael put his arm around her waist, pulling her out of the way of a guy who was being reckless. "I'm glad to hear you've forgotten about your work long enough to have fun. I just hope that guy doesn't ruin it by causing trouble or getting someone hurt."  
  
A little while later, Michael checked his watch. "It's almost 9. Are reservations are for 9:30. Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Hai. I am. Let's go."  
  
The guy from earlier came around again and knocked Washu over when she was trying to leave the ring to take her skates off.  
  
Michael helped her up and was about to go after the guy when Washu put her hand on his arm. "No need for violence. Watch."  
  
He watched, a bit curious to see what she had in mind. Her computer came up faintly and she grinned as she typed in a short command. All the sudden, there was a pair of black skates rolling around without anyone using them.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Just watch."  
  
One of the skates fell over and out came a little duck. Michael stared at it a second then started laughing. "How long will the guy stay like that?"  
  
"A couple of hours and he then his normal molecular structure will return. He's lucky. I could have made him stay like that forever. Now he will only get the scare of his life. Now, we don't want to be late. We had better hurry."  
  
"Yeah, lets get out of here before people figure out what happened to that guy and who did it."  
  
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"So far this place is living up to everything I've heard it to be." Washu was sitting across from Michael, looking around the restaurant.  
  
"Yes. It is a nice place." Replied Michael, watching her through his sunglasses.  
  
She looked back to him and smiled. "It's a shame most people would freak out about your eyes. I find them quite interesting."  
  
He nodded, taking it as a compliment. The waiter walked up and asked the usual "What would you like to drink?" as he placed the menus before them.  
  
"Water will be fine. And you, Washu?"  
  
"Same here, please."  
  
"I will be back in a few minutes to take your orders."  
  
He left the table and Michael was paying much more attention to Washu than to the menu while Washu was trying to keep her attention on the menu.  
  
"Washu?"  
  
"Yes?" She put the menu down and looked at him.  
  
"I know I haven't known you long and I know that you have already been through a lot, but.Washu, I love you."  
  
Washu just sat there in shock for a minute and was thinking of what to say when the waiter came back. Washu looked up at him and said, "I'll start with a seafood salad, please."  
  
"Of course. And you, Monsieur?"  
  
"Huh?" Michael was hurt. He tells her he loves her and she orders a salad. But what more can he expect right now? Maybe time will help. "I'll have the same."  
  
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"Well, I guess this is goodnight, Miss Washu."  
  
They were standing just outside the house.  
  
"Michael, I'm sorry about earlier. It's just that.well." She didn't know what else to say so she kissed him.  
  
When she went inside to her lab, he waited a few minutes before going to the room he was staying in. 'Now I know I can't give up on her yet." 


End file.
